Thursday, January 10

When Life Hands You Dented Apples, Make Apple Sauce

My local market recently had a sale on apples. Since it's well past apple picking season, I decided to stock up. I spent 10 minutes carefully selecting the most perfectly shaped, shiny Macs, Rome Beauties, and Pink Ladies I could find.

I gently placed my bags of apples on the conveyor belt at the checkout. As I continued to unload my remaining groceries, from the corner of my eye I saw my apples disappear from the belt: blam! onto the scale, then blam! into the grocery bag. Before I could utter a word, it was too late. My previously pristine apples were irrevocably spotted with unsightly blemishes.

Rather than trying to eat around the bruises, I did what any resourceful food blogger would do: I made apple sauce. Homemade apple sauce is infinitely better than bottled. With no additives or preservatives, it's healthier too. Plus when you make it, your entire house smells like freshly baked apple pie; that's reason enough to not buy the bottled kind.

Though I love to eat apple sauce on its own, it's surprisingly delicious with other foods. I've become excited about getting up in the morning since I began swirling apple sauce, dates, and walnuts into my oatmeal.

I love butternut squash simply roasted, but I really love it filled with homemade apple sauce, toasted pecans, and ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

How I make homemade apple sauce:

I use sweet, juicy, meaty apples such as Rome Beauties or McIntosh. Though I love tart and tangy Granny Smiths and Pink Ladies for eating apples, I wouldn't recommend them for apple sauce.

Like Jeff's mom, Dorothy of Dorothy's Broccoli Pasta and Italian Almond Biscotti, I leave the skin on one or two apples to impart a warm reddish color to the sauce. If you don't like the texture of the skin, you can remove it before serving or puree the sauce until it dissolves.

For a basic apple sauce, I use apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. For variety, I sometimes add a splash of fresh lemon juice or some ground nutmeg, ginger, or cloves; golden raisins and dried or fresh cranberries are wonderful add-ins too. And who could argue with pouring some pure maple syrup or honey in for added sweetness?

Place chopped apples in a deep pot. Add water, sugar, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, or until the apples begin to break down. Lower to a simmer and cook 15-20 minutes, or until the apples are completely soft. Stir well with a spoon until a thick sauce forms.

Leave a few lumps and bumps in it or puree it in a blender for a smooth finish. Make sure to let it cool first before pouring it the blender! Otherwise it will blow the cover off. Not that it has happened to me.

I made Apple butter with cinnamon last week for sandwiches, I guess it's the same. Apple sauce is kids' favorite lunch pack option. Looks delicious! Lemon juice is a good idea, prevents discoloration too!:)

I think the most satisfying kitchen magic is in turning "iffy" food into something new and delicious. Whether it's turning bruised apples into delicious applesauce or black bananas into banana bread or slightly wilted herbs intomixed herb pesto or tired carrots into soup... it's all magic of the best kind (hey, I think I may have a new post here. I shall give you full credit if I ever write it!).

I make a big batch of applesauce almost every week (they don't call this part of Rhode Island Apple Valley for nothing!). My grandmother always made it without any sweetener, just cinnamon and cloves, a mix of varieties of apples, with all of the skins left on to give a wonderful pink color. That's the way I make it, too.

Homemade applesauce is fabulous and brings back some treasured but sad memories. My mother in law used to make it for my mom during the last month of her life because it was one of the only things she could eat.

I hate when they play football with your groceries in the check out line! It is one of my boggest pet peeves. Thank goodness you're resourceful. That applesauce looks so delicious! I love the idea of filling butternut squash with it. I would never have thought of that.

I love homemade applesauce! A Swiss friend of mine turned me onto it because she always made a fresh batch of applesauce when she made homemade potatoes au gratin. Apparently that's a very traditional Swiss dish. It really is a great way to use up bruised or just a windfall of apples. Thanks for the reminder!

Ok, I think I goofed up:) I meant to say that I have nothing to do with New England except Sexy Tom Brady:) and my husband would never allow me to root for him!! I guess having lived in LA, SD and now bay area, I should show more allegiace to San Diego!:D